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Accelerating the learning of low-achieving students: the transformation of a dropout.

Article Excerpt
Anthony's story was the same as that of many dropouts: he was bored in school, he had no support or encouragement from his family or his teachers, and he lacked motivation. But it was after he quit high school that his story took a different turn. Ms. Finnan and Mr. Chasin explain how Anthony has been able to succeed against all odds.

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ANTHONY, a stocky, muscular, young African American man with a smile that exudes warmth and enthusiasm, chose a path taken by far too many of his peers: he became a high school dropout. He started down this path long before he entered his urban high school in Wisconsin in 1997. Throughout his years in school, he had never been pushed to excel, and no one had taken the time to build on his potential. Anthony quickly adopted the attitude that school was a boring waste of time. He saw himself as an academic failure, and his middle school, judging by the academic record that he had created, agreed.

By the time Anthony entered high school, he was completely disengaged from classroom learning. He attended classes but did the minimum possible to pass to the next grade. His high school didn't seem to expect any more from him. And so Anthony and his school entered into an unwritten pact: we won't push you too hard, and you won't have to work; if you show up and stay out of trouble, you will pass.

Anthony's primary reasons for attending school were to hang out with friends and play basketball. Eventually, he began to break the pact he had made with his high school. Rather than attending class, he began coming to campus only at lunchtime, when he could socialize and play basketball. By 1999, Anthony had officially dropped out of school.

Few adults at the school noticed. As Anthony put it, "I saw myself as an unsuccessful student who did not belong in school. This was a view shared by my mother. I belonged on the basketball courts and with my friends. After years of going to school but not learning and being viewed as a failure, I gave up."

Unfortunately, Anthony's experience is not unique. National high school graduation rates hover between 68% and 71%, indicating that about one-third of all high school students drop out. (1) When these figures are disaggregated and we look at African American students, the odds of dropping out increase to 50%, and males are more likely than females to leave school. (2) From a purely statistical standpoint, then, Anthony's decision to drop out is not surprising. But surprising or not, it still represents a terrible choice because the future for high school dropouts is indisputably bleak. (3)

Anthony's story embodies several common reasons for dropping out. The school experience was boring and disconnected from Anthony's life. His family did not encourage him to do well in school. In fact, his mother actively discouraged his attendance or engagement. It appears that none...